LeBron James Discussion: Not Returning To The Lakers

I can't believe some of you are still talking about Demarcus Cousins. Westbrook coming to LA with Lonzo here isn't going to work. It's Lebron and PG in terms of realistic pairs. Those guys pair up perfectly with the current roster.

 

sell it all.

ingram makes deng movable. randle makes clarkson movable.

again, all hinges on guarantees from lebron and pals. my point is that i have a price. and i like ingram as much as most, i think. i just know there's a difference between hope and reality.

and, no, cousins wouldn't be my ideal third piece. but who knows who that might be. point is, if lebron can deliver that guy and george, i'm selling one of the young guys. not both, though.

 

..... to "sell it all". Sorry.

 

that's fine. i'm ok with the homegrown folks. just don't come cryin' when we're still winning 33 games a year in 2020.

this is all i ask.

 

I dont think new regime goes for a two year run just to go back to square A.

Or atleast wouldnt go for it if they thought there was a good chance of that happening.

 

Folks? As in plural beyond obviously Lonzo staying? Sorry the eye tests and statements from front office say you no way use Brandon freaking Ingram to "dump" Deng just to make LeBron James happy with another "posse" of friends. Paul George and whomever else the front office deems to put around him is what needs to happen here if James is coming.

 

Deng gets dumped multiple other ways.

 

I'd trade Ingram for Jokic. Would be insane having a team of Lonzo, Lebron and Jokic, the passing would be out of this world! Heck, a team of Lonzo and Jokic alone would be a beautiful thing to watch, I'd trade anyone to make that happen.

 

three all stars and a young blue chipper versus two young blue chippers and nada. square one (A?). got it.

no, "homegrown folks" = folks who are gung ho about the current young talent and growing from within. i get it, psychologically. i just don't want to hear whining about losing whilst endorsing this strategy. because there will be a lot more losing if this is the idea.

i, on the other hand, reserve my losing whining rights, because i'm endorsing the win-now philosophy.

well, we've been trying to dump deng for a while with no takers. it's going to take something special. ingram could do it, and maybe net an asset in the process. now, i only do this if i KNOW i'm getting my three stars (unlike, ahem, the russell deal...but that's a separate issue). but if it's a certainty...i have no qualms moving one of ball (who's never played an nba game) or ingram (who's played only a handful of good nba games) for a player who's an established nba allstar and a chance to compete at the highest level and restore the franchise to glory (or, at the very least, watchability!--who hasn't tuned out by january for the past few years?).

lebron james has brought teams to the finals, what, 7 or 8 times? a couple of them almost by himself. so, yeah, if he says he's coming, i'm willing to do a lot to make it happen.

this place is wholly irrational sometimes.

 

Blowing up the entire roster except for Ball to placate James at the age of 34 is irrational. I have more faith in FO than that. What happened to unprotected 1st round pick and Julius Randle if necessary to get rid of Deng. Hate this sell your soul approach with still no guarantees it works and potentially f****** the future with the well oiled machine in place for next few years in the Bay area.

 

Does the new Laker facility have a thrash compactor?

 

Agree with mostly all that you said, but...

It sounds like you're saying theres no way in hell realistically if we get George,Lebron and maybe a third legit all-star we could go back to square A which is now,fight for a playoff seed.

I was just pointing out were not gonna just make moves for a two year run. Thats all.

 

I would sell of ball for a team of westbrook/ingram/pg/james/some guy

 

right; this is what i'm talking about. i think people forget the point is to win games, not possibly win games in the distant future. the most perverse form of this is the sixers situation.

1. i would think most competent managers don't have huge problems blowing up a 27-win roster for the league's best player.
2. and again, the premise is that said player is bringing 2 friends with him who are also top-15 nba players. it's not selling your soul for a 34 year old lebron. it's trading a really bad roster for a really good one, overnight. you have to sacrifice a darling to do it.

oh, and if randle and an unprotected first moves deng, i'm listening, but i think the lakers tried that already this summer, right?

edit: and i've been on about this before, but gs is a turned ankle away from okc or houston getting a ring this year. why can't we be okc or houston?

 

Guess everything will be a lot more clear come the trade deadline next year. Since that is a different roster for any number of reasons. The original title of this thread though should not have been changed.

 

We pitched Randle before, but he was fat, one handed, and had no range. Probably legendary now.

 

Or Cleveland in the mess they're in now when no one turns an ankle at GS his first year and he loses interest here with his player option for the 2nd after ogling some other team's roster? Maybe more likely than GM Lebron's team gelling that quickly to take GS out that early.

 

How many other stars do you see posting videos proving they are working out? It's your job.

 

Y'all missed this one from the morning.